Super Mario Run has already proven to be more popular than Pokemon Go

On its first day of release, Super Mario Run raked in $5 million off five million installs, according to a new report from mobile app insights firm Sensor Tower. These figures put it ahead of even Pokemon Go in terms of first day performance, although it must be noted that Pokemon Go was only available in select regions at first, and that Super Mario Run has only seen an iOS release so far.

However, with a Super Mario Run Android release coming in 2017, the game definitely stands a good chance of toppling Pokemon Go as the most downloaded and highest grossing game of all time. Nintendo’s first real mobile game (not including Miitomo) was always going to be a hit, and with Mario at the helm the game was guaranteed a lot of launch day attention, just as Pokemon Go was.

Analysts have already predicted that Super Mario Run will see 50 million installs in its first month of release, which will only be on iOS devices due to Nintendo’s exclusivity agreement with Apple. But when the game eventually lands on Android the install rate will explode.

As it stands, you can only play the first level for free in Super Mario Run, after which you’re required to pay $9.99 to unlock the remaining levels. For Mario fans, this is not even a question. Sensor Tower estimates roughly 10 percent of players will eventually pay to unlock the full game.

But the game’s requirement for a constant Wi-Fi connection has irritated many players. Only those with unlimited data plans can really justify playing on a data connection, with others losing out on a truly mobile game. Likewise, the game’s arguably over-simple mechanics – Mario runs by himself and leaps small enemies and obstacles automatically – has upset more than a few players looking for something a little more complex.

But as we’ve seen before, simple games can often be just as popular as advanced titles, and Super Mario Run is already the most downloaded app in over 80 countries, despite some initial hiccups. Sensor Tower predicts that around 30 million iOS users registered to be notified of the game’s release, but that in many cases the notifications took several hours to appear and several countries had delayed launches, affected its first day totals.

At this rate it looks like Super Mario Run will meet the expectations placed on it for near-term performance but it will only be when the game is available on Android as well that it will witness its true potential. Install numbers will soar, but we’ll have to see just how many Android owners are willing to fork over ten bucks and how many will attempt to circumvent Nintendo’s paywall and need for a constant data connection.

When do you think we’ll see Super Mario Run on Android? Would you pay $9.99 for the full game?